Insulated vented garment formed using sections of non-woven polymer material

ABSTRACT

Aspects herein provide for a method of manufacturing a vented insulated garment using sections of non-woven polymer material and garments produced therefrom. The method generally comprises positioning a section of non-woven polymer material between two textile layers, and bonding the textile layers together at areas adjacent to the section of non-woven polymer material to form seams. The seams may be optionally perforated.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application having attorney docket number NIKE.260978/160358US01and entitled “Insulated Vented Garment Formed Using Sections ofNon-Woven Polymer Material” is related by subject matter to concurrentlyfiled U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, having attorney docketnumber NIKE.260977/150999US01 and entitled “Insulated Vented GarmentFormed Using Non-Woven Polymer Sheets.” The entirety of theaforementioned application is incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Aspects herein relate to an insulated vented garment and methods formaking an insulated vented garment.

BACKGROUND

Traditional ways of creating insulated garments comprise creatingchambers through, for example, stitching panels of material together andblowing down or other synthetic fibers into the chambers. This oftenrequires specialized machinery and can be messy. Moreover, traditionalinsulated garments may trap moisture vapor produced by the wearer whichmay result in wearer discomfort.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Examples of the present invention are described in detail below withreference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded view of a first exemplary constructionfor an insulated vented garment in accordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 2 illustrates a top perspective view of a construction detail forthe first exemplary construction of FIG. 1 in accordance with aspectsherein;

FIG. 3 illustrates a top perspective view of the first exemplaryconstruction of FIG. 1 when in an as-assembled state in accordance withaspects herein;

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along cut line 4-4 ofFIG. 3 in accordance with aspects herein;

FIGS. 5-6 illustrate front and back views respectively of an exemplaryinsulated vented garment formed using, or instance, the first exemplaryconstruction of FIG. 1 in accordance with aspects herein;

FIGS. 7-8 illustrate front and back views respectively of an exemplaryinsulated vented garment formed, for instance, using the first exemplaryconstruction of FIG. 1 in accordance with aspects herein;

FIGS. 9A-9B illustrate exemplary patterns for a seam in accordance withaspects herein;

FIG. 10 illustrates a flow diagram of an exemplary method of forming aninsulated vented garment in accordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 11 illustrates an exploded view of a second exemplary constructionfor an insulated vented garment in accordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 12A illustrates a top perspective view of a construction detail forthe second exemplary construction of FIG. 11 in accordance with aspectsherein;

FIG. 12B illustrates a top perspective view of the second exemplaryconstruction of FIG. 11 when in an as-assembled state in accordance withaspects herein;

FIG. 13 illustrates an alternative configuration for the secondexemplary construction in accordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 14 illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along cut line 14-14 ofFIG. 12B in accordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 15 illustrates a front view of an exemplary insulated ventedgarment formed, for example, using the second exemplary construction ofFIG. 11 in accordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 16 illustrates a front view of an exemplary insulated ventedgarment formed, for example, using the second exemplary construction ofFIG. 11 in accordance with aspects herein; and

FIG. 17 illustrates a flow diagram of an exemplary method of forming aninsulated vented garment in accordance with aspects herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The subject matter of the present invention is described withspecificity herein to meet statutory requirements. However, thedescription itself is not intended to limit the scope of thisdisclosure. Rather, the inventors have contemplated that the claimed ordisclosed subject matter might also be embodied in other ways, toinclude different steps or combinations of steps similar to the onesdescribed in this document, in conjunction with other present or futuretechnologies. Moreover, although the terms “step” and/or “block” mightbe used herein to connote different elements of methods employed, theterms should not be interpreted as implying any particular order amongor between various steps herein disclosed unless and except when theorder of individual steps is explicitly stated.

At a high level, aspects herein relate to methods of constructinginsulated vented garments and garments resulting therefrom. Methods ofconstructing the insulated vented garment may utilize non-woven polymersheets or sections of non-woven polymer material instead of materialssuch as down or loose poly-fill fibers. As used throughout thisdisclosure, terms such as “non-woven polymer sheet,” “poly-fill sheet,”“thermally insulating sheet material,” and “thermally insulating fillsheet” may be used interchangeably herein. Further, as used throughoutthis disclosure, terms such as “sections of non-woven polymer material,”“sections of poly-fill material,” “sections of thermally insulatingsheet material,” and “sections of thermally insulating fill material”may be used interchangeably herein. Besides being easier to work withdue to their cohesive structure, the use of non-woven polymer sheets orsections of non-woven polymer material imparts warmth to the finishedgarment. Moreover, the non-woven polymer materials described herein aregenerally hypoallergenic, do not require special laundering, have shortdry times, and still provide warmth even when wet. They also do notrequire specialized handling or machinery when forming the garment whichsaves on manufacturing costs.

In a first method of construction that utilizes non-woven polymersheets, one or more selected portions of the non-woven polymer sheet maybe removed to create openings or voided portions in the non-wovenpolymer sheet. In an alternative aspect, the non-woven polymer may beformed to have one or more openings or voided portions. The non-wovenpolymer sheet is positioned between a first and second panel ofmaterial. The first panel of material is secured or bonded to the secondpanel of material in one or more areas corresponding to the voidedportions in the non-woven polymer sheet. In an optional exemplaryaspect, one or more perforations may be formed in the bonded areas wherethe perforations extend through the first panel of material and thesecond panel of material. As described further below, the perforationsmay be useful for allowing moisture vapor and/or excess heat produced bya wearer to escape from inside of the garment. The first and secondpanels of material may be used at least in part to form the garment.

Garments produced using the first method may comprise, for instance, atleast one garment panel having an inner panel and an outer panel. Anon-woven polymer sheet may be positioned between the inner and outerpanels where the non-woven polymer sheet may comprise a voided portion(i.e., a portion from which the non-woven polymer sheet material hasbeen removed or is absent). The garment may further comprise at leastone seam that joins the inner panel to the outer panel at an areacorresponding to the voided portion of the non-woven polymer sheet. Inaspects, the garment may comprise multiple seams at areas correspondingto voided portions of the non-woven polymer sheet where the seams mayhelp to define a plurality of chambers containing the non-woven polymersheet. In an optional aspect, the garment may further comprise one ormore perforations located on the seam, where the perforations extendthrough the inner panel and the outer panel.

In a second method of construction that utilizes sections or strips ofnon-woven polymer material, the section of non-woven polymer materialmay be positioned between a first and second panel of material. Thefirst panel of material may be secured or bonded to the second panel ofmaterial in one or more areas adjacent to the section of non-wovenpolymer material. In an optional exemplary aspect, perforations may beformed in the bonded area where the perforations extend through thefirst panel of material and the second panel of material.

Garments produced using the second method of construction may comprise,for example, at least one garment panel having an inner panel and anouter panel. A section of non-woven polymer material may be positionedbetween the inner panel and the outer panel. The garment may furthercomprise one or more seams that join the inner panel to the outer panelat areas immediately adjacent or next to the section of non-wovenpolymer material; the seams may define a chamber that contains thesection of non-woven polymer material. In an optional aspect,perforations may extend through the seam(s) such that they extendthrough the inner panel and the outer panel.

In general, garments produced using the first and second methods ofconstruction are both insulating and breathable. This may beadvantageous for a wearer undergoing physical exertion as these wearersoften produce moisture in the form of perspiration. Perspiration stilloccurs in cold weather and may increase when the wearer is wearing aheat-insulating garment. By utilizing the perforations as describedherein, the moisture vapor may escape to the exterior environmenthelping to keep the wearer comfortable. As well, the interiortemperature of the garment may be regulated by facilitating a transferof heat through the garment via the perforations.

Additional advantages may be obtained by using non-woven polymer sheetsand/or sections of non-woven polymer material. Because of theirnon-woven structure formed, for example, by entangling fibers orfilaments, they are able to maintain a cohesive or unitary structure asopposed to, for instance, loose poly-fill fibers and/or down. As such,they allow for the creation of chambers that are positioned verticallyand/or diagonally on a garment. In other words, because there is littlerisk of drift of the materials (as opposed to, for example, down and/orloose poly-fill fibers that do not have a cohesive structure), thechambers may assume orientations other than generally discrete chambershaving horizontal orientations. Further, the chambers can assume moreorganic or curvilinear shapes because there is no need to blow down orloose poly-fill fibers into the chambers. It is known that it is oftendifficult to evenly distribute down or loose poly-fill fibers intochambers that are curvilinear or that deviate from a more traditionalhorizontally oriented chamber. Additionally, since there is no need tocontain loose fill materials, the chambers described herein may be inthe form of “open-ended” chambers. That is, instead of a traditionalchamber that is defined on all sides by seam lines to create an enclosedchamber, chambers described herein may comprise one or more sides orregions that are not bounded by seam lines.

Accordingly, aspects herein provide for a method of making an insulatinggarment, the method comprising providing a first panel of material;providing a second panel of material; and providing a thermallyinsulating fill sheet having one or more voided portions. The thermallyinsulating fill sheet is secured to at least the first panel ofmaterial, and the second panel of material is positioned such that thethermally insulating fill sheet is interposed between the first panel ofmaterial and the second panel of material. The first panel of materialis affixed to the second panel of material in one or more areascorresponding to the one or more voided portions in the thermallyinsulating fill sheet and the garment is formed using at least the firstpanel of material and the second panel of material.

In another aspect, a garment is provided comprising at least a firstgarment panel. The first garment panel comprises an inner panel, anouter panel, and a thermally insulating fill sheet interposed betweenthe inner panel and the outer panel, where the thermally insulating fillsheet comprising at least one voided portion. The garment furthercomprises at least one seam that joins the inner panel to the outerpanel at an area corresponding to the voided portion of the thermallyinsulating fill sheet and a plurality of perforations located on the atleast one seam, where the plurality of perforations extend through theat least one seam and through the inner panel and the outer panel.

In yet another aspect, a garment is provided comprising at least a firstgarment panel. The first garment panel comprises an inner panel, anouter panel, and a thermally insulating fill sheet interposed betweenthe inner panel and the outer panel at a first area, where the thermallyinsulating fill sheet comprises at least a first voided portion and asecond voided portion. The garment further comprises at least a firstseam that joins the inner panel to the outer panel at a first locationcorresponding to the first voided portion of the thermally insulatingfill sheet and at least a second seam that joins the inner panel to theouter panel at a second location corresponding to the second voidedportion of the thermally insulating fill sheet, where the first seam isspaced apart from and unconnected to the second seam. Additionally thegarment comprises an open-ended chamber formed between the inner paneland the outer panel and defined by the first seam and the second seam,where the chamber contains at least a portion of the thermallyinsulating fill sheet.

Aspects herein further provide for a method of making an insulatedgarment. The method comprises providing a first panel of material,providing a second panel of material, and providing a section ofthermally insulating fill material. The section of thermally insulatingfill material is positioned on the first panel of material and thesecond panel of material is positioned such that the section ofthermally insulating fill material is interposed between the first panelof material and the second panel of material. The first panel ofmaterial is secured to the second panel of material at one or more areasadjacent to the section of thermally insulating fill material and thegarment is formed using at least the first panel of material and thesecond panel of material.

In another aspect a garment is provided. The garment comprises at leasta first garment panel comprising an inner panel, an outer panel, a firstsection of thermally insulating fill material interposed between theinner panel and the outer panel, and at least a first seam that joinsthe inner panel to the outer panel at a first area adjacent to thesection of thermally insulating fill material.

In an additional aspect a garment is provided. The garment comprises atleast a first panel of material comprising an inner panel, an outerpanel, and a section of thermally insulating fill material interposedbetween the inner panel and the outer panel. The garment furthercomprises a first seam that joins the inner panel to the outer panel ata first area adjacent to the section of thermally insulating fillmaterial and a second seam that joins the inner panel to the outer panelat a second area adjacent to the section of thermally insulating fillmaterial. The first seam and the second seam define an open-endedchamber containing the section of thermally insulating fill material.

As used throughout this disclosure, positional terms used whendescribing, for instance, a garment, such as “anterior,” “posterior,”“inferior,” “superior,” “lateral,” “medial,” and the like are to begiven their common meaning with respect to the garment being worn by ahypothetical wearer standing in anatomical position. Unless indicatedotherwise, terms such as “affixed,” “coupled,” “secured,” and the likemay mean releasably affixing two or more elements together using forinstance, structural differences between the elements, releasableadhesives, snaps, buttons, hook-and-loop fasteners, and the like. Theseterms may also mean permanently affixing two or more elements togetherusing, for example, stitching, bonding, adhesives, welding, and thelike. Unless indicated otherwise, terms such as “proximate” or“adjacent” may mean within 0 cm to 5.0 cm of a designated referencepoint.

First Exemplary Method of Construction and Garments Produced Therefrom

Aspects herein contemplate a method of forming an insulated ventedgarment using non-woven polymer sheets such as a thermally insulatingpoly-fill sheet. Aspects herein further contemplate an insulated ventedgarment formed using non-woven polymer sheets. As used throughout thisdisclosure the term “non-woven” may be defined as a mat or sheet-likestructure formed by entangling fibers or filaments of a material. Inexemplary aspects, the non-woven polymer sheet may comprise a singlelayer or multiple layers. Further, in exemplary aspects, the polymermaterial may comprise polyester fibers or filaments. The non-wovenpolymer sheet is generally lightweight but provides good insulation dueto heated air being trapped between the entangled fibers.

Turning now to FIG. 1, an exploded view of a first exemplaryconstruction 100 for an insulated vented garment is provided inaccordance with aspects herein. The exemplary construction 100 comprisesat least a first pliable textile layer 110, a non-woven polymer sheet112, and a second pliable textile layer 114. In aspects, the firsttextile layer 110 may comprise an inner-facing layer of the garment(i.e., the layer configured to face toward a body surface of a wearerwhen the garment is worn), and the second textile layer 114 may comprisean outer-facing layer of the garment (i.e., the layer configured to faceaway from a body surface of a wearer and toward the external environmentwhen the garment is worn). The first textile layer may comprise a firstsurface 116 and an opposite-facing second surface 118, where the secondsurface 118 is configured to face toward the body surface of the wearerwhen the garment is worn. The second textile layer 114 may comprise athird surface 124 and an opposite-facing fourth surface 126, where thethird surface 124 is configured to face toward the external environmentwhen the garment is worn.

In exemplary aspects, the first textile layer 110 and the second textilelayer 114 may comprise a knitted, woven, or non-woven textile. Further,the first textile layer 110 may be formed of the same material (e.g.,knit or woven material) as the second textile layer 114, or the layers110 and 114 may be formed of different materials (i.e., the firsttextile layer 110 may be a knit material and the second textile layer114 may be a woven material or vice versa). In exemplary aspects, one ormore of the layers 110 and/or 114 may be treated with a durable waterrepellant (DWR) to make the resulting garment substantially imperviousto water. For instance, the second textile layer 114, since it is anouter-facing layer, may be treated with a DWR finish. Further, it iscontemplated herein that first textile layer 110 may be finished toprovide a soft feel or hand to heighten wearer comfort since the firsttextile layer 100 is configured to potentially come into contact withthe body surface of the wearer when the garment is worn. For instance,the first textile layer 110 may be brushed to impart a soft feel to thefirst textile layer 110. Any and all aspects, and any variation thereof,are contemplated as being within aspects herein.

It is further contemplated herein that one or more of the first textilelayer 110 and/or the second textile layer 114 may be formed from fabricshaving different weights. For instance, the layers 110 and/or 114 may beformed of light fabrics (89 g/m² to 30 g/m²) or even ultra-light fabrics(29 g/m² or lighter). However, it is contemplated herein that heavierfabrics, such as fabrics with weights in the range of 90 g/m² to 149g/m² or even 150 g/m² to 250 g/m² or higher may be used for the layers110 and/or 114 in accordance with aspects herein.

The non-woven polymer sheet 112 is shown as being positioned between thefirst textile layer 110 and the second textile layer 114. It iscontemplated herein that the non-woven polymer sheet 112 may compriseany number of different weights. Continuing, the non-woven polymer sheet112 comprises a fifth surface 120 and an opposite-facing sixth surface122. The fifth surface 120 is positioned adjacent to the fourth surface126 of the second textile layer 114 in the construction 100, and thesixth surface 122 is positioned adjacent to the first surface 116 of thefirst textile layer 110 in the construction 100.

The non-woven polymer sheet 112 is shown with a portion removed to forman opening or a voided portion 132. In exemplary aspects, this may bedone using a mechanical cutting process, ultrasonic cutting, lasercutting, water jet cutting, and the like to form the voided portion 132in the non-woven polymer sheet 112. In an alternative exemplary aspect,the non-woven polymer sheet 112 may be pre-formed to have the voidedportion 132. Any and all aspects, and any variation thereof, arecontemplated as being within aspects herein. Although shown with justone voided portion 132, it is contemplated herein that the non-wovenpolymer sheet 112 may comprise multiple voided portions. Further, it iscontemplated herein, that the voided portion 132 may comprise any numberof different lengths and may have different shapes such as curvilinearor organic shapes. Any and all aspects, and any variation thereof, arecontemplated as being within aspects herein.

The construction 100 depicted in FIG. 1 further comprises a firstadhesive material 128 and a second adhesive material 130. In exemplaryaspects, the first adhesive material 128 and the second adhesivematerial 130 may comprise an adhesive tape formed to have a shapecorresponding to that of the voided portion 132 of the non-woven polymersheet 112. The first adhesive material 128 and the second adhesivematerial 130 may be used to secure or bond the first textile layer 110to the second textile layer 114 at the voided portion 132 of thenon-woven polymer sheet 112. For instance, the first adhesive material128 may be positioned on the first textile layer 110 and the non-wovenpolymer sheet 112 may be positioned on the first textile layer 110 suchthat the voided portion 132 is axially aligned with the first adhesivematerial 128. The second adhesive material 130 may also be positionedsuch that it is axially aligned with the voided portion 132, and thesecond textile layer 114 may be positioned adjacent to the first textilelayer 110. Then, the two layers 110 and 114 may be pressed together withsufficient force and/or energy applied in an area generallycorresponding to the voided portion 132 to activate the adhesivematerials 128 and 130 to create a bond(s) between the two layers 110 and114. The adhesive materials 128 and 130 may be activated by, forinstance, heat, or ultrasonic energy, or any other type of appliedenergy. By removing portions of the non-woven polymer sheet 112 at areaswhere the first and second textile layers 110 and 114 are bonded, a moresecure bond may be formed.

Once the first textile layer 110 and the second textile layer 114 arebonded together, a seam is formed at the bonded area. In other words, aseam is formed at the voided portion 132 of the non-woven polymer sheet112 as will be discussed further below. It is contemplated herein, thatonly one of the adhesive materials 128 or 130 may be used herein toaffix the first textile layer 110 to the second textile layer 114. Anyand all aspects, and any variation thereof, are contemplated as beingwithin aspects herein.

The construction 100 further comprises one or more optional perforations134. In exemplary aspects, the perforations 134 are made through thesecond textile layer 114 and the first textile layer 110 in the areacorresponding to the voided portion 132. To put it another way, theperforations 134 are formed at the seam area created when the firsttextile layer 110 is affixed or bonded to the second textile layer 114at the voided portion 132 of the non-woven polymer sheet 112. Theperforations 134 may be formed using, for instance, a mechanical cuttingprocess, a knitting or weaving process, laser cutting, water jetcutting, ultrasonic cutting, and the like. As stated above, theperforations 134 may be used to allow moisture vapor or excess heatproduced by the wearer to exit the garment.

Turning now to FIG. 2, referenced generally by the numeral 200, a topperspective view of a portion of the construction 100 is showncomprising the non-woven polymer sheet 112 positioned on the firstsurface 116 of the first textile layer 110 in accordance with aspectsherein. Before affixing the first textile layer 110 to the secondtextile layer 114 at the voided portion 132 of the non-woven polymersheet 112 as described above, the non-woven polymer sheet 112 may besecured to the first textile layer 110 to prevent shifting of thenon-woven polymer sheet 112 during manipulation of the construction 100.For example, the non-woven polymer sheet 112 may be secured to the firsttextile layer 110 by stitching or tacking a perimeter edge defining thevoided portion 132 to the first textile layer 110. This is indicated byreference numeral 210. Other methods of securing the non-woven polymersheet 112 to the first textile layer 110 are contemplated herein such asusing adhesives, a bonding process, spot welding, a melting process, andthe like. Moreover, although shown as secured to the first textile layer110, it is contemplated herein that the non-woven polymer sheet 112 mayalternatively be secured to the second textile layer 114 or to both thefirst textile layer 110 and the second textile layer 114.

FIG. 3 illustrates a top perspective view of the construction 100 in anas-assembled state in accordance with aspects herein. As shown, thesecond textile layer 114 is positioned adjacent to the first textilelayer 110 such that the third surface 124 of the second textile layer114 is exposed. The non-woven polymer sheet 112 is positioned betweenthe first textile layer 110 and the second textile layer 114. The voidedportion 132 of the non-woven polymer sheet 112 is indicated by thedashed lines. As described above, the first textile layer 110 is securedor bonded to the second textile layer 114 at the voided portion 132 toform a seam 310. The perforations 134 extend through the seam 310. Inother words, the perforations 134 extend through the first textile layer110 and the second textile layer 114 at the seam 310 in accordance withaspects herein.

A cross-section of the construction 100 taken along cut line 4-4 of FIG.3 is shown in FIG. 4 in accordance with aspects herein. Because the seam310 is positioned at a location corresponding to the voided portion 132of the non-woven polymer sheet 112, the non-woven polymer sheet 112 isnot present in the seam 310. However, all three layers—the first textilelayer 110, the non-woven polymer sheet 112, and the second textile layer114—are present in the areas adjacent to the seam 310. As further shownin FIG. 4, the perforations 134 extend through the first textile layer110 and the second textile layer 114 at the seam 310. As used throughoutthis disclosure, portions of the construction 100 that comprise thefirst textile layer 110, the non-woven polymer sheet 112, and the secondtextile layer 114 may be known as chambers. For instance, the referencenumeral 410 may indicate a first chamber and the reference numeral 412may indicate a second chamber, where the first chamber 410 may bedemarcated or separated from the second chamber 412 by the seam 310.

Turning now to FIGS. 5 and 6, front and back views respectively of agarment 500 having the construction 100 is shown in accordance withaspects herein. The garment 500 is shown in the form of a jacketalthough it is contemplated herein that the garment 500 may take otherforms such as a shirt, a pull-over hoodie, a vest, a pant, a short, abody suit, a sock, a hat, a shoe, and the like. The garment 500comprises a torso portion 510 configured to cover the front and backtorso of a wearer when the garment 500 is in an as-worn configuration.The torso portion 510 may comprise an optional releasable fastenermechanism 522 such as a zipper used to open and close the garment 500.The torso portion 510 defines at least a neck opening 516, a waistopening 518, and first and second sleeve openings (not shown). The neckopening 516, in turn, may be defined by a collar portion 520 of thegarment 500. The garment may optionally comprise a first sleeve portion512 extending from the torso portion 510 at the first sleeve opening,and a second sleeve portion 514 extending from the torso portion 510 atthe second sleeve opening.

Some or all of the garment 500 may comprise the construction 100described with respect to FIGS. 1-4. For instance, it is contemplatedherein that an entirety of the torso portion 510 including the collarportion 520 may be formed of the construction 100. In some aspects, thefirst and second sleeve portions 512 and 514 may also be formed from theconstruction 100.

It is also contemplated herein that the construction 100 may be used ononly portions of the garment 500. For instance, the garment 500 may bezoned into different areas such as areas needing a high amount ofinsulation, a moderate amount of insulation, and areas needing a lowamount of insulation. In exemplary aspects, the zoning may be based onheat or sweat maps of the human body. Areas needing a high amount ofinsulation may comprise, for instance, the first and second sleeveportions 512 and 514. Areas needing a moderate to high amount ofinsulation may comprise, for instance, the front of the torso portion510, and areas needing a moderate to low amount of insulation maycomprise, for example, the back of the torso portion 510. Theselocations are exemplary only and it is contemplated herein that thegarment 500 may be zoned differently.

Continuing, areas needing a high amount of insulation may be formed fromthe construction 100 but the non-woven polymer sheet 112 in these areasmay not comprise voided portions. Instead, a continuous expanse of thenon-woven polymer sheet 112 may be positioned between the first andsecond textiles layers 110 and 114 to provide a higher level ofinsulation. As such, it is contemplated herein that areas needing higherinsulation may not comprise seams, such as the seam 310, and may notcomprise perforations such as the perforations 134.

Areas needing a moderate amount of insulation may be formed from theconstruction 100 where the non-woven polymer sheet 112 comprises thevoided portions and the first and second textile layers 110 and 114 arebonded together at locations corresponding to the voided portions tocreate one or more seams. By having voided portions in these areas, alower amount of insulation may be achieved as compared to having acontinuous expanse of non-woven polymer sheet. Perforations, such as theperforations 134 may be formed on some or all of the seams to impartincreased permeability and breathability to the garment 500 in theseareas.

Areas needing a low amount of insulation may also be formed from theconstruction 100. In exemplary aspects, an increased number of seams maybe formed in these areas, and/or a greater number of seams may compriseperforations for a higher level of permeability and breathability.Alternatively, areas needing a low amount of insulation may be formedwithout using the construction 100. For instance, these areas may notcomprise the non-woven polymer sheet 112 and instead may comprise justthe first and second textile layers 110 and 114, just one of the layers110 or 114, or the areas may comprise a different textile such as, forinstance, a mesh material for greater permeability and breathability.Any and all aspects, and any variation thereof, are contemplated asbeing within aspects herein.

Referring particularly to the garment 500 shown in FIG. 5, the garment500 comprises a number of seams where the seams represent areas wherethe first textile layer 110 is bonded or secured to the second textilelayer 114 at voided portions in the non-woven polymer sheet 112. Forinstance, seams 528 may be located on a front aspect of the torsoportion 510 at a first lateral side of the torso portion 510, seams 536may be located on the front aspect of the torso portion 510 at a secondopposite lateral side of the torso portion 510, and seams 524 and 526may be located on the front aspect of the collar portion 520. Althoughthe seams 526, 528, and 536 are shown as being perforated, it iscontemplated herein that one or more of the seams 526, 528, and 536 maynot be perforated.

A close-up of perforations 531 located on the seams 536 is shown in FIG.5. In exemplary aspects, the perforations 531 may comprise a number ofdifferent shapes and sizes. As shown, the perforations 531 may comprisean alternating pattern of larger-sized perforations and smaller-sizedperforations. Moreover, the perforations 531 may extend continuouslyalong the seam 536 as shown, or the perforations 531 may be placedintermittently along the seam 536. As further shown in the close-up viewof the seam 536, the seam 536 may optionally be reinforced withstitching 532. The stitching 532 may be along one edge of the seam 536or along both edges of the seam 536. Any and all aspects, and anyvariation thereof, are contemplated as being within aspects herein.

The seams 524 and 526 on the collar portion 520 of the garment 500comprise both perforated and unperforated seams. For instance, the seams524 are unperforated and the seam 526 is perforated. Having bothperforated and unperforated seams at the collar portion 520 may helpprovide a moderate amount of insulation while still imparting abreathable and permeable characteristic to the collar portion 520.

The back of the garment 500 as shown in FIG. 6 may comprise a differentpattern of seams as compared to the front of the garment 500. Forinstance, seams 618 may be located at a first lateral side of the backof the torso portion 510, seams 620 may be located at a second oppositelateral side of the back of the torso portion 510, and an additional setof seams 612 and 614 may be located at an upper central back of thetorso portion 510. Seams 610 may also be located on the collar portion520. Similar to the seams located on the front of the torso portion 510,some or all of the seams 610, 612, 614, 618, or 620 may be perforated.

In exemplary aspects, open-ended chambers may be formed between adjacentseams. For instance, with respect to FIG. 6, an open-ended chamber 616may be formed between the seam 612 and the seam 614. The chamber 616 isdefined along two sides by the seams 612 and 614 but is undefined oropen at each opposing end. The creation of open-ended chambers, such asthe chamber 616 is possible due to the cohesive or unitary structure ofthe non-woven polymer sheet 112. In other words, because of itsnon-woven structure, the polymer sheet 112 does not have to be enclosedwithin, for example, a four-sided chamber as opposed to, for example,loose fill or down which may escape the chamber if not enclosed.Moreover, use of the non-woven polymer sheet 112 enables the creation ofchambers, such as chamber 617 that is vertically or diagonally orientedon the garment 500. Using vertically or diagonally oriented chamberswith, for example, loose fill or down may be challenging as thesematerials have a tendency to settle due to gravity.

The pattern of the seams shown on the front and back of the garment 500are exemplary only, and it is contemplated herein that different seampatterns may be utilized in accordance with aspects herein. Moreover, itis contemplated that seams may be present on the sleeve portions 512 and514 when the sleeve portions 512 and 514 are formed using theconstruction 100. The perforation patterns shown in association with theseams on the garment 500 are also exemplary, and it is contemplatedherein that different perforation patterns may be utilized in accordancewith aspects herein. Any and all aspects, and any variation thereof, arecontemplated as being within aspects herein.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate front and back views respectively of a garment700 also formed using the construction 100 in accordance with aspectsherein. The garment 700 is in the form of a short although it iscontemplated herein that the garment 700 may be in the form of a pant, athree-quarter pant, a capri, a tight, and the like. The garment 700comprises a torso portion 710 adapted to cover a lower torso of a wearerwhen the garment 700 is worn, a first leg portion 712, and a second legportion 714. The torso portion 710 along with the first and second legportions 712 and 714 help to define at least in part a waist opening716, a first leg opening 718, and a second leg opening 720.

Similar to the garment 500, the garment 700 may be configured to providevarying levels of insulation over different portions of the garment 700.This may be based on heat or sweat maps of the human body. For instance,a greater amount of insulation may be needed in areas of the garment 700adapted to cover the anterior thigh area of a wearer, and lower amountsof insulation may be needed over the back of the torso portion 710 ofthe garment 700. As such, the construction over different parts of thegarment 700 may vary to include a non-woven polymer sheet without voidedportions, a non-woven polymer sheet with voided portions, a non-wovenpolymer sheet with voided portions and perforations, and/or parts of thegarment 700 that do not include a non-woven polymer sheet.

As stated, the garment 700 may be formed from the construction 100. Assuch, some or all of the garment 700 may comprise the first textilelayer 110, the non-woven polymer sheet 112, and the second textile layer114. One or more portions of the non-woven polymer sheet 112 may beremoved to form voided portions, such as the voided portion 132 inFIG. 1. With respect to FIG. 7, seams 722 and 724 may be formed in areascorresponding to voided portions of the non-woven polymer sheet 112. Inexemplary aspects, seams 722 may be located over a front aspect of thefirst leg portion 712, and seams 724 may be located over a front aspectof the second leg portion 714. Although the seams 722 and 724 are shownas comprising perforations, it is contemplated herein that one or moreof the seams 722 and/or 724 may not comprise perforations. Both theseams 722 and 724 are shown in a near vertical orientation althoughother orientations are contemplated herein.

With respect to FIG. 8 which depicts a back view of the garment 700, thegarment 700 may further comprise seams 810 located on a back aspect ofthe second leg portion 714 at a posterior knee region, and seams 812located on a back aspect of the first leg portion 712 at a posteriorknee region. Seam 814 may also be located on a posterior aspect of thetorso portion 710 adjacent to the waist opening 716. As shown, some ofthe seams 810, 812, and 814 are perforated and some are not.

The placement and pattern of the seams on the garment 700 is exemplaryonly and other patterns are contemplated herein. Moreover, theperforation pattern shown for the garment 700 is exemplary only andother perforation patterns are contemplated herein. Any and all aspects,and any variation thereof, are contemplated as being within the scopeherein.

The seams shown for the garments 500 and 700 have generally been shownas being linear. However, it is contemplated that seams described hereinmay assume more organic or curvilinear shapes. FIGS. 9A and 9Billustrate this aspect. For instance, seam 910 in FIG. 9A comprises awave-like form, and seam 912 in FIG. 9B comprise an almost circularcomponent. The seam 912 may define at least in part a chamber 913. Asseen, organic or curvilinear seam patterns may be used to define, forexample, chambers that also have more organic or curvilinear shapes ascompared to more traditional horizontally oriented, straight-edgedchambers. In this aspect, the chamber 913 is defined by one seam lineand may have one open end. FIGS. 9A and 9B further illustrateperforations located on the seams 910 and 912.

Turning now to FIG. 10, a flow diagram depicting an exemplary method1000 of forming an insulated vented garment using non-woven polymersheets or thermally insulating fill sheets is provided in accordancewith aspects herein. At a step 1010, a first panel of material, such asthe first textile layer 110, is provided, and at a step 1012 a secondpanel of material, such as the second textile layer 114, is provided. Inexemplary aspects, the first and second panels of material may comprisepliable knitted, woven, or non-woven textiles.

At a step 1014, a thermally insulating fill sheet such as the non-wovenpolymer sheet 112 is provided where the thermally insulating fill sheetcomprises one or more voided portions or openings each defined by aperimeter edge. In one exemplary aspect, the voided portions may beformed by removing selected portions of the thermally insulating fillsheet using, for instance, a mechanical cutting process, laser jetcutting, water jet cutting, ultrasonic cutting, and the like. Theportions removed from the thermally insulating fill sheet may be basedon, for instance, a predetermined pattern. In an alternative exemplaryaspect, the thermally insulating fill sheet may be pre-formed to havethe voided portions.

At a step 1016, the thermally insulating fill sheet is secured to one ormore of the first panel of material and/or the second panel of material.In exemplary aspects, this may occur by, for example, tacking orstitching the perimeter edge defining each of the openings or voidedportions to the first and/or second panel of material. Other ways ofsecuring the thermally insulating fill sheet to the first and/or secondpanels of material are contemplated herein such as using adhesives,bonding, spot welding, and the like.

At a step 1018, the first and second panels of material are positionedadjacent to each other such that the sheet of thermally insulating fillsheet is interposed between the first and second panels. At a step 1020,the first and second panels of material are secured to each other inareas corresponding to the openings or voided portions in the thermallyinsulating fill sheet to form seams. In exemplary aspects, this mayoccur by providing an adhesive material, such as an adhesive sheet, thatis formed (e.g., cut) to have a shape corresponding to the shape of anopening in the thermally insulating fill sheet. The adhesive material ispositioned between the first and second panels of material such that itis aligned with the respective opening or voided portion in thethermally insulating fill sheet. The adhesive material is activated bythe application of, for example, heat, light, ultrasound, pressure, andthe like in the area corresponding to the opening to bond the firstpanel of material to the second panel of material. A similar process iscontemplated for each of the openings or voided portions formed in thethermally insulating fill sheet. At a step 1022, the garment is formedusing at least the bonded assembly described above.

Additional method steps are contemplated herein. For instance,perforations may be formed through some or all of the seams to impartbreathability characteristics to the garment in addition to theinsulation characteristics provided by the use of the thermallyinsulating fill sheet. It is further contemplated herein that the seamsformed in the areas corresponding to the openings or voided portions inthe thermally insulating fill sheet may be reinforced with stitching.The listing of the method steps 1000 is exemplary only, and it iscontemplated herein that the steps may take place in other orders unlessspecified otherwise.

Another exemplary method of construction contemplated herein comprisesusing non-woven polymer sheets that do not have voided portions. Inother words, the non-woven polymer sheets comprise continuous expanseswithout openings or voided portions formed therein. The non-wovenpolymer sheet is positioned between a first and second textile layersuch as the first and second textile layers 110 and 114 of FIG. 1.However, instead of bonding the first and second layers directlytogether at the voided portions of the non-woven polymer sheet asdescribed with respect to the construction 100, the first and secondtextile layers as well as the non-woven polymer sheet are bondedtogether in one or more areas to form seams. With respect to thisaspect, material for the non-woven polymer sheet may be selected suchthat it melts and/or acts as an adhesive when activated via, forinstance, heat or the application of energy. It is further contemplatedherein that additional adhesive materials may be used to further augmentthe bond between the first and second textile layers and the non-wovenpolymer sheet. Thus, in this aspect, a seam area would comprise thefirst textile layer, the non-woven polymer sheet, and the second textilelayer. Any and all aspects, and any variation thereof, are contemplatedas being within aspects herein.

As described, aspects herein are directed to a method of forming aninsulated vented garment using non-woven polymer sheets such as athermally insulating poly-fill sheet. Aspects herein are furtherdirected to an insulated vented garment formed using non-woven polymersheets. The use of non-woven polymer sheets provides an economical andefficient production method, and garments produced using this type ofconstruction may comprise organically shaped or curvilinear chambersthat can be positioned on the garment to provide targeted insulation andventing features.

Second Exemplary Method of Construction and Garment Produced Therefrom

Aspects herein further contemplate a method of forming an insulatedvented garment using sections or strips of a non-woven polymer material.Aspects herein also contemplate an insulated vented garment formed usingsections or strips of non-woven polymer material. As used throughoutthis disclosure, the term “strips” or “sections” of non-woven polymermaterial may be defined as disparate or non-continuous portions of anon-woven polymer material that are used in the construction of agarment where adjacent disparate sections of non-woven polymer materialmay be separated by a seam as described below. In some aspects, thesection may take the form of a narrow piece of non-woven polymermaterial (e.g., a piece whose width is less than its length) which ishereinafter known as a “strip” of non-woven polymer material. However,it is contemplated herein that the term “section” may also encompassother geometries such as square pieces of non-woven polymer material,rectangular pieces of non-woven polymer material, circular or triangularpieces of non-woven polymer material, curvilinear or organically shapedpieces of non-woven polymer material, and the like. Similar to above,the sections of non-woven polymer material, when incorporated into agarment, may provide good insulation due to heated air being trappedbetween the entangled fibers while still being lightweight.

Turning now to FIG. 11, an exploded view of a second exemplaryconstruction 1100 for an insulated vented garment is provided inaccordance with aspects herein. The construction 1100 comprises a firstpliable textile layer 1110, a second pliable textile layer 1114, and asection of non-woven polymer material 1112. In exemplary aspects, thefirst textile layer 1110 may comprise a first surface 1116 and anopposite second surface 1118, and the second textile layer 1114 maycomprise a third surface 1120 and an opposite fourth surface 1122. Whenthe construction 1100 is used in the garment, the third surface 1120 ofthe second textile layer 1114 may comprise an outer-facing surface ofthe garment or garment panel, and the second surface 1118 of the firsttextile layer 1110 may comprise an inner-facing surface of the garmentor garment panel.

In exemplary aspects, the first textile layer 1110 and the secondtextile layer 1114 may have a similar pattern shape. However, it is alsocontemplated herein that the first textile layer 1110 and the secondtextile layer 1114 may comprise different pattern shapes. For example,the first textile layer 1110 may have a pattern shape comprising asmaller surface area than the second textile layer 1114. To describe ita different way, the first textile layer 1110 may be applied to thesecond textile layer 1114 as sections or “patches” at one or more areasof the second textile layer 1114. Thus, the insulation featuresdescribed herein using the first and second textile layers 1110 and1114, and the section of non-woven polymer material 1112 may beincorporated at one or more discrete portions of a garment or apparelitem. This will be described further with respect to FIG. 13.

Similar to the construction 100, the first textile layer 1110 and thesecond textile layer 1114 may comprise a knitted, woven, or non-woventextile. Further, the first textile layer 1110 may be formed of the samematerial (e.g., knit or woven material) as the second textile layer1114, or the layers 1110 and 1114 may be formed of different materials(i.e., the first textile layer 1110 may be a knit material and thesecond textile layer 1114 may be a woven material or vice versa). Inexemplary aspects, one or more of the layer 1110 and/or 1114 may betreated with a durable water repellant (DWR) to make the resultinggarment substantially impervious to water. For instance, the secondtextile layer 1114, since it is an outer-facing layer, may be treatedwith a DWR finish. Moreover, the first textile layer 1110 may befinished such that is has a soft feel or hand. Finishing may include,for example, brushing the second surface 1118 of the first textile layer1100. Any and all aspects, and any variation thereof, are contemplatedas being within aspects herein.

It is further contemplated herein that one or more of the first textilelayer 1110 and/or the second textile layer 1114 may be formed fromfabrics having different weights. For instance, the layers 1110 and/or1114 may be formed of light fabrics (89 g/m² to 30 g/m²) or evenultra-light fabrics (29 g/m² or lighter). However, it is contemplatedherein that heavier fabrics, such as fabrics with weights in the rangeof 90 g/m² to 149 g/m² or even 150 g/m² to 250 g/m² or higher may beused for the layers 110 and/or 114 in accordance with aspects herein.

The section of non-woven polymer material 1112 is shown as having acurved strip-like shape. However, it is contemplated herein that thesection of non-woven polymer material 1112 may comprise different shapesas described above. The section of non-woven polymer material 1112 isfurther shown as being positioned between the first and second textilelayers 1110 and 1114. More specifically, the section of non-wovenpolymer material 1112 is shown as being positioned between the firstsurface 1116 of the first textile layer 1110 and the fourth surface 1122of the second textile layer 1114.

Similar to the non-woven polymer sheet 112 in FIG. 1, the section ofnon-woven polymer material 1112 is contemplated to have a cohesive orunitary structure due to, for example, entanglement of fibers used toform the section of non-woven polymer material 1112. In exemplaryaspects, the section of non-woven polymer material 1112 may be cut froma non-woven polymer sheet using, for example, a mechanical cuttingprocess, laser cutting, ultrasonic cutting, water jet cutting, and thelike. In other exemplary aspects, the section of non-woven polymermaterial 1112 may be formed to have the shape shown. Any and allaspects, and any variation thereof, are contemplated as being withinaspects herein.

The construction 1100 further comprises a first adhesive material 1124and a second adhesive material 1126. In exemplary aspects, the firstadhesive material 1124 and the second adhesive material 1126 maycomprise an adhesive tape formed to have a shape generally correspondingto the shape of the section of non-woven polymer material 1112. Thefirst adhesive material 1124 and the second adhesive material 1126 maybe used to bond the first textile layer 1110 to the second textile layer1114.

To assemble the construction 1100, the section of non-woven polymermaterial 1112 may be secured to the first surface 1116 of the firsttextile layer 1110, and the first and second adhesive materials 1124 and1126 may be positioned adjacent to the section of non-woven polymermaterial 1112 on the first surface 1116 of the first textile layer 1110.More particularly, the first adhesive material 1124 and the secondadhesive material 1126 may be positioned on the first surface 1116 ofthe first textile layer 1110 adjacent to the section of non-wovenpolymer material 1112 on opposing sides of the section of non-wovenpolymer material 1112. As used with respect to this aspect, the term“adjacent” may mean within 0.0 mm to 20.0 mm of an edge of the sectionof non-woven polymer material 1112. The fourth surface 1122 of thesecond textile layer 1114 may then be positioned adjacent to the firstsurface 1116 of the first textile layer 1110. The two layers 1110 and1114 may be pressed together with sufficient force and/or energy appliedin the areas generally corresponding to the adhesive materials 1124 and1126 to activate the adhesive materials 1124 and 1126 and cause a bondbetween the two layers 1110 and 1114. The adhesive materials 1124 and1126 may be activated by, for instance, heat, or ultrasonic energy, orany other type of applied energy. In the construction 1100, the firstand second textile layers 1110 and 1114 are un-affixed or un-bonded inareas corresponding to the section of non-woven polymer material 1112.

Once the first textile layer 1110 and the second textile layer 1114 arebonded together, seams are formed at the bonded areas. In other words, aseam is formed at an area corresponding to the first adhesive material1124 and a seam is formed at an area corresponding to the secondadhesive material 1126. It is contemplated herein, that instead ofpositioning the first and second adhesive materials 1124 and 1126adjacent to the first textile layer 1110, the adhesive materials 1124and 1126 may be positioned adjacent to the second textile layer 1114. Itis further contemplated herein that additional adhesive materials may beused to bond the first and second textile layers 1110 and 1114 togetherin areas adjacent to the section of non-woven polymer material 1112. Anyand all aspects, and any variation thereof, are contemplated as beingwithin aspects herein.

The construction 1100 further comprises one or more optionalperforations 1134 and 1136. In exemplary aspects, the perforations 1134may be made through the second textile layer 1114 and the first textilelayer 1110 in the area corresponding to the second adhesive material1126, and the perforations 1136 may be made through the second textilelayer 1114 and the first textile layer 1110 in the area corresponding tothe first adhesive material 1124. To put it another way, theperforations 1134 are formed at the seam area created when the firsttextile layer 1110 is affixed or bonded to the second textile layer 1114using the second adhesive material 1126. And the perforations 1136 areformed at the seam area created when the first textile layer 1110 isaffixed or bonded to the second textile layer 1114 using the firstadhesive material 1124. The perforations 1134 and 1136 may be formedusing, for instance, a mechanical cutting process, a knitting or weavingprocess, laser cutting, water jet cutting, ultrasonic cutting, and thelike. As stated above, the perforations 1134 and 1136 may be used toallow moisture vapor or excess heat produced by the wearer to exit thegarment.

Turning to FIG. 12A, referenced generally by the numeral 1200, a topperspective view of a portion of the construction 1100 is showncomprising the section of non-woven polymer material 1112 positioned onthe first surface 1116 of the first textile layer 1110 in accordancewith aspects herein. Before affixing the first textile layer 1110 to thesecond textile layer 1114 using the first and second adhesive materials1124 and 1126 as described above, the section of non-woven polymermaterial 1112 may be secured to the first textile layer 1110 to preventshifting of the section of non-woven polymer material 1112 duringmanipulation of the construction 1100. In an exemplary aspect, this maybe done by tacking or stitching the section of non-woven polymermaterial 1112 along its perimeter edge as indicated by the referencenumeral 1210. However, other ways of securing the section of non-wovenpolymer material 1112 to the first textile layer 1110 are contemplatedherein such as using an adhesive, bonding, spot welding, and the like.It is also contemplated herein that instead of securing the section ofnon-woven polymer material 1112 to the first textile layer 1110, it maybe secured to the second textile layer 1114 or to both the first andsecond textile layers 1110 and 1114. Any and all aspects, and anyvariation thereof, are contemplated as being within aspects herein.

FIG. 12B illustrates a top perspective view of the construction 1100 inan as-assembled state in accordance with aspects herein. As shown, thesecond textile layer 1114 is positioned adjacent the first textile layer1110 such that the third surface 1120 of the second textile layer 1114is exposed. The section of non-woven polymer material 1112 is positionedbetween the first and second textile layers 1110 and 1114 as indicatedby the dashed line. As discussed, the first textile layer 1110 and thesecond textile layer 1114 are bonded or secured to each other at a firstseam 1310 corresponding to the second adhesive material 1126 and asecond seam 1312 corresponding to the first adhesive material 1124. Itis contemplated herein that the first textile layer 1110 and the secondtextile layer 1114 may be generally unsecured or unaffixed to each otherexcept at the seams 1310 and 1312. The seams 1310 and 1312 arepositioned adjacent to and on opposing sides of the section of non-wovenpolymer material 1112 and help to define a chamber 1314 containing thesection of non-woven polymer material 1112. To describe it another way,the chamber 1314 is bounded or defined on at least two sides by theseams 1310 and 1312 but may not be defined by seams at the ends of thechamber 1314 (i.e., it is an open-ended chamber 1314). The creation ofopen-ended chambers, such as the chamber 1314 is possible due to thecohesive or unitary construction of the section of non-woven polymermaterial 1112 as opposed to loose fill materials that may need to becompletely enclosed within a chamber to prevent drift.

FIG. 12B further illustrates the optional perforations 1134 and 1136.The perforations 1134 are positioned at the first seam 1310 and extendthrough the first and second textile layers 1110 and 1114 in this area.Similarly, the perforations 1136 are positioned at the second seam 1312and extend through the first and second textile layers 1110 and 1114 inthis area.

As described above, it is contemplated herein that the first textilelayer 1110 may have a different pattern shape than the second textilelayer 1114 such that the first textile layer 1110 has a smaller surfacearea than the second textile layer 1114. This is shown in FIG. 13,referenced generally by the numeral 1300, which depicts a bottomperspective view of an alternative configuration for the construction1100 where the first textile layer 1110 has a different pattern shapethan the second textile layer 1114. In this aspect, the first textilelayer 1110 is defined by perimeter edges 1352, 1354, 1356, and 1358, andthe surface area of the first textile layer 1110 is less than thesurface area of the second textile layer 1114. Besides being secured tothe second textile layer 1114 at the bonded seams 1310 and 1312, thefirst textile layer 1110 may also be secured to the second textile 1114along its perimeter edges 1352, 1354, 1356, and 1358. This may throughthe use of an adhesive seam tape, bonding, stitching, welding, and thelike. In exemplary aspects, the remaining portions of the first textilelayer 1110 may remain un-affixed to the second textile layer 1114.

The configuration shown in FIG. 13 enables the formation of insulatedand vented sections at various portions of a garment formed using, forinstance, the second textile layer 1114. For instance, the secondtextile layer 1114 may be used to form a garment such as a shirt. Inareas needing a higher amount of insulation, sections of the firsttextile layer 1110 may be used to form the construction 1100 shown inFIG. 11. By limiting the areas in which the first textile layer 1110 isused, a lighter-weight construction may be achieved while still havingneeded insulation features.

Continuing, a cross-section of the construction 1100 taken along cutline 14-14 of FIG. 12B is shown in FIG. 14 in accordance with aspectsherein. The seams 1310 and 1312 are shown as being positioned adjacentto the chamber 1314 containing the section of non-woven polymer material1112. In other words, the chamber 1314 comprises the first textile layer1110, the section of non-woven polymer material 1112, and the secondtextile layer 1114. As shown, the seams 1310 and 1312 comprise just thefirst and second textile layers 1110 and 1114. The perforation 1134 isshown as extending through the first and second textile layers 1110 and1114 at the seam 1310, and the perforation 1136 is shown as extendingthrough the first and second textile layers 1110 and 1114 at the seam1312.

Although the construction 1100 is shown comprising one section ofnon-woven polymer material 1112, it is contemplated herein that theconstruction 1100 may comprise multiple sections of non-woven polymermaterial, where each section is separated from an adjacent section ofnon-woven polymer material by a seam, where the seam may compriseoptional perforations. Any and all aspects, and any variation thereof,are contemplated as being within aspects herein.

Turning to FIG. 15, a front view of a garment 1500 having theconstruction 1100 is shown in accordance with aspects herein. Thegarment 1500 is shown in the form of a jacket although it iscontemplated herein that the garment 1500 may take other forms such as ashirt, a pull-over hoodie, a vest, a pant, a short, a body suit, a sock,a hat, a shoe, and the like. The garment 1500 comprises a torso portion1510 configured to cover the front and back torso of a wearer when thegarment 1500 is in an as-worn configuration. The torso portion 1510 maycomprise an optional releasable fastener mechanism 1511 such as a zipperused to open and close the garment 1500. The torso portion 1510 definesat least a neck opening 1516, a waist opening 1518, and first and secondsleeve openings (not shown). The neck opening 1516, in turn, may bedefined by a collar portion. The garment 1500 may optionally comprise afirst sleeve portion 1512 extending from the torso portion 1510 at thefirst sleeve opening, and a second sleeve portion 1514 extending fromthe torso portion 1510 at the second sleeve opening.

Some are all of the garment 1500 may comprise the construction 1100shown in FIGS. 11-14. For instance, it is contemplated herein that anentirety of the torso portion 1510 may be formed of the construction1100. In some aspects, the first and second sleeve portions 1512 and1514 may also be formed from the construction 1100.

Similar to the garment 500, it is also contemplated herein that theconstruction 1100 may be used on only portions of the garment 1500. Forinstance, the garment 1500 may be zoned into different areas such asareas needing a high amount of insulation, a moderate amount ofinsulation, and areas needing a low amount of insulation.

Continuing, areas needing a high to moderate amount of insulation may beformed from the construction 1100. However, seams formed in these areasmay not be perforated. Areas needing a low amount of insulation may alsobe formed from the construction 1100. Seams in these areas may beperforated to increase permeability and breathability in these areas.Alternatively, areas needing a low amount of insulation may be formedwithout using the construction 1100. For instance, these areas may notcomprise sections of non-woven polymer material 1112 and instead maycomprise just the first and second textile layers 1110 and 1114, justone of the layers 1110 or 1114, or the areas may comprise a differenttextile such as, for instance, a mesh material for greater permeabilityand breathability. Any and all aspects, and any variation thereof, arecontemplated as being within aspects herein.

Referring particularly to the garment 1500, the garment 1500 comprises anumber of seams such as seam 1520 and seam 1522 located on an upperaspect of the torso portion 1510 on a first lateral side, and seam 1526and 1528 located on an upper aspect of the torso portion 1510 on asecond opposite lateral side. In an optional aspect, the seams 1520,1522, 1526, and 1528 may be reinforced with stitching. The stitching maybe along one edge of the seams 1520, 1522, 1526, and 1528 or along bothedges of the seams 1520, 1522, 1526, and 1528. Any and all aspects, andany variation thereof, are contemplated as being within aspects herein.

In exemplary aspects, the seam 1520 and the seam 1522 define a firstchamber 1524 comprising a section of non-woven polymer material, and theseam 1526 and the seam 1528 defined a second chamber 1530 comprising anadditional section of non-woven polymer material. The chambers 1524 and1530 are shown as being defined on two sides by seams but as being openat each end. Some or all of the seams 1520, 1522, 1526, and 1528 may beperforated. For instance, the seams 1520 and 1526 are shown ascomprising perforations 1532. Similar to the discussion of theperforations with respect to the garment 500, the perforations 1532 maycomprise different sizes, shapes, and may be formed continuously orintermittently along the seams 1520 and 1526. Any and all aspects, andany variation thereof, are contemplated as being within aspects herein.

Although the seams 1520, 1522, 1526, and 1528 and the chambers 1524 and1530 are shown in a generally horizontal orientation, it is contemplatedherein that the garment 1500 may comprise seams and chambers that have agenerally vertical orientation or that assume a more curvilinear ororganic shape such as the exemplary shapes shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B.Moreover, the placement of the seams 1520, 1522, 1526, and 1528 and thechambers 1524 and 1530 shown in FIG. 15 is exemplary only and otherpatterns are contemplated herein such as the pattern shown in FIG. 5 forthe garment 500. Although not shown, it is further contemplated that theback of the garment 1500 may also comprise seams, chambers, and/orperforations. For instance, the back of the garment 1500 may have apattern of seams, chambers, and/or perforations similar to that shownfor the garment 500 in FIG. 6. Any and all aspects, and any variationthereof, are contemplated as being within aspects herein.

FIG. 16 illustrates a front view of a garment 1600 also formed using theconstruction 1100 in accordance with aspects herein. The garment 1600 isin the form of a short although it is contemplated herein that thegarment 1600 may be in the form of a pant, a three-quarter pant, acapri, a tight, and the like. The garment 1600 comprises a torso portion1610 adapted to cover a lower torso of a wearer when the garment 1600 isworn, a first leg portion 1612, and a second leg portion 1614. The torsoportion 1610 along with the first and second leg portions 1612 and 1614help to define at least in part a waist opening 1616, a first legopening 1618, and a second leg opening 1620.

Similar to the garment 700 of FIGS. 7 and 8, the garment 1600 may beconfigured to provide varying levels of insulation over differentportions of the garment 1600. As such, the construction over differentparts of the garment 1600 may vary to include areas having sections ofnon-woven polymer material, areas without sections of non-woven polymermaterial, seams with perforations, seams without perforations, no seams,and the like.

As shown in FIG. 16, the garment 1600 comprises seams 1622 and 1624located on the first leg portion 1612 such that they are configured tobe positioned adjacent to a right anterior thigh area of a wearer whenthe garment 1600 is worn. The seams 1622 and 1624 define at least inpart a chamber 1626 comprising a section of non-woven polymer material.Similarly, the garment 1600 further comprises seams 1628 and 1630located on the second leg portion 1614 such that they are configured tobe positioned adjacent to a left anterior thigh area of a wearer whenthe garment 1600 is worn. Some or all of the seams 1622, 1624, 1628, and1630 may be perforated. For example, seam 1624 and seam 1630 are shownas comprising perforations in FIG. 16.

Although the seams 1622, 1624, 1628, and 1630 and the chambers 1626 and1632 are shown in a generally horizontal orientation, it is contemplatedherein that the seams 1622, 1624, 1628, and 1630 and the chambers 1626and 1632 may assume a more vertical orientation or they may assume amore curvilinear or organic aspects. Moreover, the placement of theseams 1622, 1624, 1628, and 1630 and the chambers 1626 and 1632 shown inFIG. 16 is exemplary only and other patterns are contemplated hereinsuch as the pattern shown in FIG. 7 for the garment 700. Although notshown, it is further contemplated that the back of the garment 1600 mayalso comprise seams, chambers, and/or perforations. For instance, theback of the garment 1600 may have a pattern of seams, chambers, and/orperforations similar to that shown for the garment 700 in FIG. 8. Anyand all aspects, and any variation thereof, are contemplated as beingwithin aspects herein.

Turning to FIG. 17, a flow diagram of an exemplary method 1700 offorming an insulated, vented garment using sections or strips ofnon-woven polymer material or thermally insulating fill material isprovided in accordance with aspects herein. At a step 1710, a firstpanel of material, such as the first textile layer 1110, is provided,and, at a step 1712, a second panel of material, such as the secondtextile layer 1114, is provided. In exemplary aspects, the first andsecond panels of material may comprise pliable knitted, woven, ornon-woven textiles.

At a step 1714, a section of thermally insulating fill material, such asthe section of non-woven polymer material 1112, is provided. The sectionof thermally insulating fill material may be cut from a sheet ofthermally insulating fill material, or the section of thermallyinsulating fill material may be formed to have a specific shape asneeded for construction.

At a step 1716, the section of thermally insulating fill material ispositioned between the first and second panels of material. In exemplaryaspects, the section of thermally insulating fill material may besecured to the first panel of material and/or the second panel ofmaterial by stitching or tacking the section of thermally insulatingfill material along its perimeter edge to the panel(s). Other ways ofsecuring the section of thermally insulating fill material to the firstand/or second panels of material are contemplated herein such as usingadhesives, bonding, spot welding, and the like.

At a step 1718, the first and second panels of material are positionedadjacent to each other such that the section of thermally insulatingfill material is interposed or positioned between the first and secondpanels. At a step 1720, the first and second panels of material aresecured to each other in areas adjacent to the section of thermallyinsulating fill material to form seams. In exemplary aspects, this mayoccur by providing an adhesive material, such as an adhesive sheet, thatis formed (e.g., cut) to have a shape corresponding to the general shapeof the section of thermally insulating fill material. The adhesivematerial is positioned between the first and second panels of materialsuch that it is positioned adjacent to one or more edges of the sectionof thermally insulating fill material. The adhesive material isactivated by the application of, for example, heat, light, ultrasound,pressure, and the like in the areas adjacent to the section of thermallyinsulating fill material to bond the first panel of material to thesecond panel of material. A similar process is contemplated foradditional sections of thermally insulating fill material. At a step1722, the garment is formed using at least the bonded assembly describedabove.

Additional method steps are contemplated herein. For instance,perforations may be formed through some or all of the seams to impartbreathability characteristics to the garment in addition to theinsulation characteristics provided by the use of the sections ofthermally insulating fill material. It is further contemplated hereinthat the seams formed in the areas adjacent to the sections of thermallyinsulating fill material may be reinforced with stitching. The listingof the method steps 1700 is exemplary only, and it is contemplatedherein that the steps may take place in other orders unless specifiedotherwise.

As described, aspects herein are directed to a method of forming aninsulated vented garment using sections of non-woven polymer materialsuch as a poly-fill material. Aspects herein are further directed to aninsulated vented garment formed using sections of non-woven polymermaterial. The use of sections of non-woven polymer material provides aneconomical and efficient production method, and garments produced usingthis type of construction may comprise organically shaped or curvilinearchambers that can be positioned on the garment to provide targetedinsulation and venting features.

Aspects of the present disclosure have been described with the intent tobe illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternative aspects will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art that do not depart from its scope.A skilled artisan may develop alternative means of implementing theaforementioned improvements without departing from the scope of thepresent invention.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are ofutility and may be employed without reference to other features andsubcombinations and are contemplated within the scope of the claims. Notall steps listed in the various figures need be carried out in thespecific order described.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of making an insulated garment, themethod comprising: providing a first panel of material; providing asecond panel of material; providing a section of thermally insulatingfill material; positioning the section of thermally insulating fillmaterial on the first panel of material; positioning the second panel ofmaterial such that the section of thermally insulating fill material isinterposed between the first panel of material and the second panel ofmaterial; securing the first panel of material to the second panel ofmaterial at one or more areas adjacent to the section of thermallyinsulating fill material; and forming the garment using at least thefirst panel of material and the second panel of material.
 2. The methodof claim 1, wherein the securing step comprises applying an adhesive toan inner-facing surface of at least one of the first panel of materialor the second panel of material at the one or more areas adjacent to thesection of thermally insulating fill material.
 3. The method of claim 2,wherein the applied adhesive is activated by one of heat energy orultrasonic energy.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the section ofthermally insulating fill material is positioned on the first panel ofmaterial by affixing the section of thermally insulating fill materialalong its perimeter edge to the first panel of material.
 5. The methodof claim 1, further comprising perforating the one or more areasadjacent to the section of thermally insulating fill material to createa plurality of perforations on the one more areas, the plurality ofperforations extending through the first panel of material and thesecond panel of material in the one or more areas.
 6. The method ofclaim 1, wherein one or more of the first panel of material or thesecond panel of material is formed of a knit textile.
 7. The method ofclaim 1, wherein one or more of the first panel of material or thesecond panel of material is formed of a woven textile.
 8. A garmentcomprising: at least a first garment panel comprising: an inner panel;an outer panel; a first section of thermally insulating fill materialinterposed between the inner panel and the outer panel; and at least afirst seam that joins the inner panel to the outer panel at a first areaadjacent to the section of thermally insulating fill material.
 9. Thegarment of claim 8, further comprising at least a second seam that joinsthe inner panel to the outer panel at a second area adjacent to thesection of thermally insulating fill material, wherein the first seam isspaced apart from and unconnected to the second seam.
 10. The garment ofclaim 9, where in the first seam and the second seam define anopen-ended chamber containing the first section of thermally insulatingfill material.
 11. The garment of claim 8, wherein the garment comprisesone or more additional sections of thermally insulating fill materialinterposed between the inner panel and the outer panel.
 12. The garmentof claim 8, wherein the first seam joining the inner panel to the outerpanel is created with an adhesive activated by the application ofenergy.
 13. The garment of claim 12, wherein the first seam isreinforced by stitching.
 14. The garment of claim 8, wherein at leastone of the inner panel or the outer panel is formed from a knit textile.15. The garment of claim 8, wherein at least one of the inner panel orthe outer panel is formed from a woven textile.
 16. A garmentcomprising: at least a first panel of material comprising: an innerpanel; an outer panel; a section of thermally insulating fill materialinterposed between the inner panel and the outer panel; a first seamthat joins the inner panel to the outer panel at a first area adjacentto the section of thermally insulating fill material; and a second seamthat joins the inner panel to the outer panel at a second area adjacentto the section of thermally insulating fill material, the first seam andthe second seam defining an open-ended chamber containing the section ofthermally insulating fill material.
 17. The garment of claim 16, furthercomprising a plurality of perforations located on at least the firstseam, the plurality of perforations extending through the first seam,and through the inner panel and the outer panel.
 18. The garment ofclaim 16, further comprising at least a second panel of material, thesecond panel of material comprising a single layer of material.
 19. Thegarment of claim 18, wherein the garment comprises a pair of pantshaving a torso portion, a first leg portion, and a second leg portion,and wherein the first panel of material is positioned at least at anupper anterior aspect of the first and second leg portions.
 20. Thegarment of claim 18, wherein the garment comprises a shirt having atorso portion, a first sleeve portion, and a second sleeve portion, andwherein the first panel of material is positioned at least at ananterior aspect of the torso portion.